Probably just as well you didn't go, eh?Quote:
Originally Posted by AnnaghRed
Printable View
Probably just as well you didn't go, eh?Quote:
Originally Posted by AnnaghRed
Pathetic post Dodge.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
If we were of English Premier standard (like the Old Firm) in a much weaker league (like the SPL) then your question might have had a degree of credibility. Instead - it just looks really stupid....:o
Linfield have clearly out-grown their own league, and would fit-in well standard-wise in an all-island league. And if they did help establish an AIL - rather than deserting the rest of the IL a la the Old Firm, the reality is that there are other IL clubs who are bigger supporters of the all-island league idea than Linfield ! They're actually the most vocal against it.
Hang on - it's not Linfield's fault that extra cluibs added when their league was expanded can't compete on a level playing field !!! But they have to deal with the reality that falls out of that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Poor Student
The exact same thing didn't happen when the EL expanded. Longford, Cork, Derry, Bray - were they all supposed to be just cannon fodder as well......? The fact that they weren't just goes to show how bankrupt league football in the north is. It's such a small place that no matter what they did with the teams I can't see the current status quo changing. Their only hope in challenging it would be to have a big team from the 2nd city in the province - one capable of attracting the crowds, money and sponsorship etc to mount a decent challenge. But the IFA blew that chance 22 years ago..
I suspect strongly that if City turned round tomorrow and asked to re-join the IL, then the likes of Linfield would welcome us with open arms. Would such a move impact their European qualification chances ? Unbdoubtedly yes, on a going basis. But they'd still back it. Which betrays the underlying fact that their opposition isn't about protecting European qualification at all ! It's primarily about politics - having a league in and for Northern Ireland.
Which is a viewpoint they're entitled to - just don't try to dress it up in footballing terms like Euro qualification !!
Quote:
Originally Posted by dcfcsteve
Certainly little point in continuing with the Setanta being played at this time in our season.
I personally don't think McFall is 100% committed to the competition.
Cork have effectively handed us an 11-0 aggregate thrashing, and the only other time I can remember that sort of annihilation was v's FC Porto.
The idea behind expanding the IL to 16 teams was to lessen the relegation dogfight at the bottom, it had absolutely no impact of the fight for european places which is normally between about 6 clubs.Quote:
Originally Posted by dcfcsteve
Of those 6 clubs only one would have a realistic chance of qualifying for europe in an AIL.
It is a legitimate objection.
Aint that the truth?Quote:
Originally Posted by Red&White
I daresay you boys feel a lot sicker though?
Predicting that someone would call him on a (unobjective, Partisan) false statement on this message board?Quote:
Originally Posted by Jerry The Saint
Nul Point.
Spelling the word Partisan like a slav?
Nul point.
You really are a humourless sod, aren't you steve?Quote:
Originally Posted by dcfcsteve
Linfield play in our home countries league. Why would we leave it?
Sure the standard is very low at the moment, but it wasn't that long ago the LOI was a lesser standard than IL.
Who knows what will happen in 10 years time. We could have some money pumped into our sport, a lot of young promising players comming through and a mini boom period for crowds.
There are clubs in Northern Ireland who are sleeping giants.
Portadown
Ballymena
Coleraine
Cliftonville
Glenavon
They could all command a good support on there day and in the past they did command a good support regulary.
But at the moment there is great apathy in Northern Ireland but hopefully in the future we could show a more positive light and attract more families etc to our local game.
The only way I would support an AIL is if the Northern Ireland team is protected. If we have to have an All Island national team, then I'm 150% against it.(you can view it as sectarian if you like, but it's not, I'm a Northern Ireland man, not an Ireland man)
PS: The IL hasn't done very well in this tournement(Linfield excluded) but I can assure you that Portadown & Glentoran would both be mid table teams in the LOI. As would Cliftonville and one or two others.
They wouldn't challange for the league, I would accept that 100% but they would be quite safe in the LOI.
Linfield has been very consistant against LOI teams and indeed have beaten more LOI teams than LOI teams have beaten us. I wouldn't be as cocky to say we would win your league, but we certainly are capable of doing so and we would be there or there abouts every year.
Only when you're around Dodge. Only when you're around..... :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
The Good Lord created smilies to help people get around the fact that it is difficult to tell from text alone what tone someone is writing something in.
With your curmudgeonous track record, you'd be well advised to employ them...... :D ;)
Its better for the Eircom league that they dont join. They have only 1 decent team who probably be mid table. The rest would drop the Eircom League down so I don't see the point.
Our Seconds might do okay, though:pQuote:
Originally Posted by finnpark
You obviously haven't been watching the Setanta cup that closely have you?Quote:
Originally Posted by finnpark
Linfield has beat both of your favourites to win the league and drew the other games.
We have also qualified through the group stages every season.
And we have also topped the group every season and although this year hasnt been finished yet, we are on top of it now.
We would definatly be title challangers of your pretentious league. We know our standard, you lot on the other hand think your better than you are.
Just think how easy this tournement would be if Linfield went full-time
Easy to say when Linfield are in season, and haven't got a new manager trying to get used to his team like Elfy Fenlon
Yet Eircom League supporters use their superior record in Europe in recent years to show that the Eircom League is superior despite this taking place a full month before our season starts.Quote:
Originally Posted by Soper
Or the fact that if we compare overall records in the Setanta Sports Cup that the LOI is miles ahead.......Quote:
Originally Posted by David
I concern myself only with Linfield and we have shown yet again that we are a match for anything in the EL. Bit rich a Derry fan bragging about Setanta Cup records. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Maribor
Linfield won it in 2005, Drogheda won it 2006.Quote:
Originally Posted by Maribor
That makes it 1-1.
No. Linfield are the only team from NI that can match any of the LOI teams that have entered.Quote:
Originally Posted by Graemerz
Feeble David. We both know that neither Linfield nor Derry are representative of our respective leagues.Quote:
Originally Posted by David
The Setanta record is very clear. IL clubs have been woeful, with only one exception. EL clubs have more than twice as many victories than IL clubs whenn it coems to facing each other. Therefore - the EL has performed much better than the IL.
The facTs are indesputable here - not matter what feeble spin you try to put on them.
The only fact that matters though is who wins the competition and as far as that is concerned it is one win each.Quote:
Originally Posted by dcfcsteve
Very true. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by David
That only tells you who the best individual teams were at those times. It says nothing about the respective qualities of the 2 leagues - which is what is beign discussed here.Quote:
Originally Posted by David
And on that score, it's clearly the EL way ahead of the IL.
Linfield could win the next 10 Setantas in a row. That wouldn't make the Irish League any better....
It would make my team better than all the others tho ;):D
Only on one occassion.Quote:
Originally Posted by LeviathanNI
For the record, the all-time Setanta scores for meetings of clubs from our respective leagues looks as follows :
2005 : EL Wins 4 / IL wins 3 / Draws 2
2006 : EL wins 11 / IL wins 2 / Draws 5
2007 : EL wins 7 / IL wins 3 / Draws 4
TOTAL : EL Wins 22 / IL wins 8 / Draws 11.
Almost 3 times as many victories for EL teams as for IL. The results says it all about the respective strengths of our leagues. Ladies and Gentlemen, I rest my case....
Quote:
Originally Posted by dcfcsteve
I'm not arguing that the EL is better throughout than the IL. I am arguing that Linfield wouldn't be a mid table team and we would in actual fact be a top of the table team alongside Derry City, St Pats, Drogheda and Cork.
But could you trot out the Linfield vs Eircom League results head to head.
I think you will find that we have won nearly 3 times the amount of matches against LOI than we have lost.
Longford away defeat
Lonford home Win
Shelbourne Final(away match) Win
2nd Season -
Shelbourne Home - Win
Shelbourne away(with 10 men) - Draw
Derry City home and away - Draw
Drogheda(eventual winners) - Lose
3rd Season -
Drogheda Away Win - Deservidly so and could have scored more
Derry City home win - played you off the park
Derry City away Draw - We got played off the park in 1st half, once we scored your heads went down and we nearly won the game after coming from 2 behind.
Drogheda home Draw - Too me what was a legitamate goal dissalowed, but havent seen tv replays. Bore draw but we where the better team even with a weakened team.
Linfield 5
LOI - 2
Draws - 4
Can I also say that Linfield has not once had a full strength team playing in any of our games. We have very much rotated our team in this Setanta cup as it takes a back seat to our domestic duties.
Against Drogheda we had a number of influentual players on the bench and some players who hasn't played in a long while on the pitch(eg Lindsay and McCann)
Against Derry City home game, we had a few suspensions and again never played such players like Glenn Ferguson & Noel Bailie and used fringe players.
Away to Derry City, it was a very very understrength team which showed in the first half, but then we brought on one big gun who has been injured for the whole season and he changed the balance of Linfield and we tore you a new bottom(not sure if your allowed to use a**h*l*)
Drogheda at home, we left players like McAreavey out from the starting line up and Maccers is one of our most gifted players, who dictated the game at Windsor against Derry City.
These are the facts and the facts are the LOI does have more strength in depth, that is not argueable. But Linfield, the team I support and only concerned with is more than a match for anything the LOI has to throw at us.
Would you not expect a country 4 times as big to be stronger?Quote:
Originally Posted by dcfcsteve
Firstly - as the Republic has a population of just over 4m, and the North 1.7m, the south is only 2.3 times the size of NI. Not 4 times.Quote:
Originally Posted by David
Secondly - not one where soccer is way-down the sporting pecking-order, versus one where it is easily the top sport, and always has been.
Thirdly - China has a population of c. 1.6bn. Holland c. 15m . But which has the better football team......?
There are plenty on this thread willing to argue it though - claiming that one win for Linfield and one win for Drogheda somehow equals league parity.....! :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Bruce
I think this year has really driven home to EL fans the fact that Linfield would easily be a Top 4 team in the EL. Some years you'd be top - but not every year, as we have much more fluctuation in fortunes (as shown by the fact we've had 6 entrants into Setanta, and a different set each year, whilst the IL have had the same 4 throughout). I don't believe anyone on here is trying to argue otherwise though......?Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Bruce
My prediction is that it'll be a Linfield v Pats final, with Pats the winner by 2 or 3:1. Though a Linfield victory wouldn't surprise me either, as I haven't had a good look at Pats this year and home advantage would help you. Would be a great game to watch either way
Oh, I think if we get to the final, we will win (but then I always think we will win).. in regards to any AIL, I fully believe we will always be in the top 3.. and as you say, not winning every year, but always up there to be potential winners.
Unlike a lot of my fellow Bluemen, I actually do think that an AIL could be the saviour of Irish 'league' (ie both leagues and clubs) football, and would be a brilliant boost to Linfield... but I would never compromise my National team, which would seem to most to be the natural progression if an AIL happened. If that could be avoided ie we retain Northern Ireland as our National team, and you guys retain the Republic of Ireland as yours, then an AIL would be great.. imo of course.
Your portion of the country ;) has a far lower percentage of gohbshytes who play football with their hands.Quote:
Originally Posted by David
The Ports attitude is a disgrace and people posting here while their team is in action in the same town should be ignored.
No amount of lies, damned lies or statistics will change the fact that Linfield have the largest football ground, support, supporters network of social clubs etc etc on this island. They'd probably make a fist of competing in the FL Championship if they had to and their current team are no mugs either.
Which would put the sword to Jeffrey's gurning about Linfield losing European places in an AIL.Quote:
Originally Posted by LeviathanNI
Personally I care a lot less about international than club teams. I can see a number of scenarios where we could have an AIL and retain the 2 international teams if that was what people wanted. It's certainly not insurmountable, and there are a number of precedents for it - e.g. NZ having it's own international team, despite clubs in the Australian league; ditto for Canada and the US.Quote:
Originally Posted by LeviathanNI
Spot on.Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Bruce
PS. What's up at Derry City?
When Glentoran Seconds beat you at home, it's a bit of a reality check.:eek:
dahamsta I hope to see a bit of equality here and this post is deleted. It is an obvious political jibe.Quote:
Originally Posted by TommyT
Firstly, i dont think Portadown tankings in this years Setanta can be totally put down to attitude.Quote:
Originally Posted by TommyT
They were well beaten by both St Pats and Cork, but i doubt that Cork would come to Shamrock in a league game, and leave seven goals to the good.
We all seem agreed that Linfield are on a par with anything the LoI has to offer, but if the rest of the Irish League is so bad, then how come Linfield don't win our league with a Celticesque points difference every season?
Secondly, you propose that i should be ignored, then drag up a two week old post. Rock on Tommy. :D
It would if he was talking purely from a Linfield pov.Quote:
Originally Posted by dcfcsteve
Which part of "8 clubs in europe would suddenly become 4" are you having difficulty in comprehending?
Then surely it IS due to attitude, the Ports aren't taking a visit from Cork as serioulsy as say one from Coleraine, hence they're getting humped.Quote:
Originally Posted by AnnaghRed
Aaaagh no I'm supposed to be ignoring you.
Brucie boy chill out
Quote:
Originally Posted by dcfcsteve
Don't recall anyone saying arguing against the fact that there is more strength in depth in the Irish League. As regards size, I was simplifying it to 6 counties against 26. Your maths also completely ignores that one of the top teams in the Eircom League (well one of the top last few seasons anyway, not sure about this season) is from Northern Ireland. As for entrants, you had the exact same teams qualified this year as last only Shels withdrew allowing Pats in. Prior to that Shels and Cork were also constant entrants.
I'd like to use "attitude" as an excuse but i reckon, on current form with best foot forward, we'd still have got humped at least 4-0. And as for Coleraine we go there on Chewsday :(Quote:
Originally Posted by TommyT
Excellent result in Bray [Greater Dublin] tonight btw. You must have left the match early to post at 7:54 ;)
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnnaghRed
Ah I see. Also the Bray game was at five, I was home about twenty minutes by the time I posted
It was more of a point to see what dahamsta would do. Obviously not much which kind of proves the theory of his bigotry. No doubt i'll get banned now.Quote:
Originally Posted by TommyT
Steve Bruce, stop wanting to be a victim, you're looking very silly. If you want to complain about something, do it properly by informing a mod or going to the support forum. Dahamsta is not omnipresent.
Tommy, he is right about the thinly veiled political jibe. If you try to bait or goad anyone again, you won't get away so lightly.